IWR HOSTS FILM SCREENING

Ithaca Welcomes Refugees will host a screening of HUMAN FLOW, Ai Weiwei’s breathtaking epic film journey about the global refugee crisis. The documentary gives powerful visual expression to the mass human migration of over 65 million people currently displaced around the world due to famine, climate change, and war. It illuminates both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly intimate human impact. Filmed over the course of last year in 23 countries, Human Flow witnesses urgent human stories of the displaced in pursuit of safety, shelter, and justice.

Ithaca Welcomes Refugees presents the film as part of Welcoming America’s national week of events to raise awareness about the benefits of welcoming refugees and immigrants to our communities. At a time when compassion, tolerance, and trust are needed more than ever, the film asks one of the questions that will define this century: Can our global society move beyond fear, isolation, and self-interest to cultures of openness and respect for humanity?

Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) is a volunteer-led initiative that works to foster a welcoming and fair environment for refugees and at-risk immigrants in our community and region. IWR works to address long-term programming gaps in local services to reduce existing barriers to the integration and empowerment of refugees and at-risk immigrants. This includes Global Roots Play School – providing early childhood care so parents can attend ESL classes, The Welcome Home program – providing apartment set up, basic needs support, emergency assistance, and early orientation for new refugee arrivals and at-risk immigrants, and Response Projects – providing long-term support for new community members via cultural and community orientation, interpretation, appointment accompaniment, transportation, program-enrollment support, and other specialized critical assistance identified through direct consultation. IWR also provides education for the wider community on refugee and immigrant issues, partners with other organizations to promote welcome, and trains volunteers for active service in the community.